Chapter
6
Kevin heard the door slam to the room next to him. Dread settled
over him when he remembered it was Nick’s door. He jumped to the phone and was
about to pick up when he decided to give his cousin a little while to regroup
himself. Besides, He had promised to call as soon as Nick had left. He just had
to trust him to do that.
After a few minutes Brian still hadn’t called. That was when Kevin
lost it. He jumped to the phone and was about to pick it up, when it rang.
Snatching it off the hook he pressed it firmly to his ear.
“Brian?” He yelped. “What happened.”
“It’s not Brian.” AJ’s voice answered softly. “He’s asleep. But I
suggest you get down here fast. I don’t think things went to well with Nick.”
“I know.” He sighed. “I heard Nick storm into his room. Damn kid.
I’ll be right down.”
Hanging up the phone, he ran down to Brian’s room and knocked.
Howie answered the door and quietly let him into the room.
“We heard yelling and ran out.” Howie explained. “We found him
curled up in the hallway crying. It looked like he had hit his head. He didn’t
seem to realize it was us so we carried him in here. He fell asleep right
after.”
Kevin sat down next to sleeping cousin and gently shook him. AJ
and Howie stood near by waiting for an explanation to what they had stumbled
upon.
“Brian.” He called softly. “Please wake up. We need to talk to
you.”
Brian groaned and rolled over. He opened his eyes slowly and made
contact with Kevin. His head still hurt and he knew that it was because of
Nick.
The name brought a tear to his eyes. He quickly fought them back
and smiled weakly at him.
“Hey Kev.” He whispered. “I told him. I let him know my secret.”
“Good job buddy.” AJ said, coming up beside him. “We are proud of
you for doing that.”
Brian nodded and sniffed quietly. It was getting hard to keep a
straight face and not break down. He knew he needed to cry, but he was tired of
being weak.
“How’d things go?” Howie asked the dreaded question.
Brian lost all his composure then. He forgot all about trying to
be strong. Tears streaked down his face as he buried his face in his pillow.
“He hates me!” He sobbed. “He called me so many bad things and
pushed me down. He hates me so much it hurts.”
Kevin hugged his sobbing cousin close and smoothed down his hair.
Guilt ate away at him. He had made Brian tell Nick, and now he had lost one of
his closest friends.
“I’m so sorry Brian.” He whispered. “I made you do this. It’s all
my fault.”
“No it isn’t Kevin.” Brian told him through his tears. “It’s my
fault for being something that Nick doesn’t like or approve of.”
Kevin pushed Brian away from him and forced him to look into his
eyes. Brian saw anger in his green eyes, but he knew they weren’t towards him.
“This is not you fault.” Kevin said firmly, grasping Brian’s chin.
“Listen to me. You can’t be what your not. And if Nick can’t except you for
that then too bad for him! He lost someone very special today.”
Brian grinned slightly as he glanced up into his watery green
eyes. He felt the warmth in them for him and sighed.
“It’s no ones fault but Nick’s.” He told Kevin. “Nick’s the only
one that can control his emotions and thoughts. I’m just sorry that he has them
on such a tight leash.”
Howie sat down on the other side of the bed. He reached over and
patted Brian’s shoulder. Brian looked over at him and noticed he had tears
slowly rolling down his cheeks.
“We still love you.” Howie whispered. “I know you love him more
than anything. But know you still have our love. You will no matter what.”
Brian nodded and gave the guys a watery smile. He did love them,
with all his heart. They were his brothers, his shoulder when he needed to cry.
Now they felt he was forgetting them because of his problems with Nick.
“I know.” He gently touched Howie’s hand. “And I’m sorry if I gave
you guys that impression. It’s just that I have lost one of the things I
treasured most.”
AJ patted his head like a person rewarding a puppy. “We know Rok.”
He smiled. “But there will be other guys.”
Brian smiled at AJ’s attempt to make him feel better. It did in
same strange familiar way. But that wasn’t what he was missing.
“I don’t care if he never loved me.” Brian whispered. “I just lost
my best friend.”
With that final thought, he rolled over in bed and began to sob.
None of the guys comforted him. He needed to cry. It was the only way to
relieve as his pain. Either that, or they win Nick’s friendship back.
But the later of the two seemed damn near
impossible.
***
